Maltitol or α-D-glucopyranosyl-4-D-sorbitol is a polyol obtainable by hydrogenation of maltose.
It is known to prepare anhydrous crystalline maltitol by inducing the crystallization of said maltitol in a syrup sufficiently rich in this product and sufficiently purified.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,041 relates to a crystallization process wherein maltitol solution can be used to grow anhydrous crystals of maltitol by the addition of seed crystals at a supersaturated concentration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,612 covers a continuous manufacturing method for anhydrous crystalline maltitol. The process starts with a maltitol rich syrup, which is heated in a concentrating step, followed by a seed crystal adding and mixing step accompanied by more heating, to give a massecuite; and a crystal aging step where the massecuite is subjected to disintegration, mixing, stirring and transfer in an atmosphere in which temperature and moisture are adjusted to proceed the crystallization.
EP 0 561 585 relates to a method for manufacturing powdery or granular crystalline maltitol, which comprises adding seed crystals of maltitol at a temperature lower than the melting point of the seed crystals of maltitol to an aqueous solution of maltitol with 1-15% by weight of moisture content; and a shearing force is applied continuously.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,015 provides an economical method for manufacturing crystalline maltitol by adding a crystalline mixture solid powder containing crystalline maltitol as seeds.
EP 1 207 164 and its equivalent U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,401 describes the continuous mixing of maltitol syrup and seed crystals by rotation of the receptacle.
EP 1 300 414 describes the crystallization of maltitol by providing shear force to a maltitol aqueous solution in the presence of air bubbles.
EP 0 741 140 and EP 0 816 373 describes a process for manufacturing crystalline maltitol and crystalline mixture solid containing crystalline maltitol.
There is a further need for having a process for preparing solidified maltitol in high yields and without the need of expensive spray-drying.
The current invention provides such a process.